Fire-escape.



N Unirse STATES.

PATENT FFIC.

MARTIN ii. DooLY, or NORTH ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS.

'FIRE-ESCAPE;

sPEcIrrcAro'N forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,364, aerea December19, 189e. Application ined August 28,1899. serai Ne. 728,734..inemeaei.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that LMARTIN H. DooLY, aeitizen of the United States,residing at North Adams, in the county of Berkshire and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Fire-Escape, of which thefollowing is a specification. p

My invention relates to tire-escapes, and has for its object to providea device which will be cheap, simple, and efficient; and it consists inthe combination and improved construction of parts of the same, as willbe hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference-numeralindicates a corresponding part in each of the views in which it occurs,Figure l is a perspective view of my apparatus in position for use7 andFig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, l indicates the main frameor body of my l{ire-escape, the Sides 2 2 of which are held parallelwith each other and at the desired distance apart by means of thefriction-blocks 3 3. These blocks are substantially cylindrical and arerendered stationary by being formed integral with or rigidly secured tothe side pieces at such distance from the ends thereof as to form guidesto prevent the rope et from running off the ends of the blocks.

The rope et, upon which the frame l travels, is secured atits upper endin the room of the building provided with the escape and is of such alength as to reach to the ground. The

intermediate portion of therope is passed one r or more times around theblocks 3 and under the guide-pins 5 5`one at each end-although thedevice may be used without passing the rope under the pins. Y Thetransverse pins 5, which increase the friction of the device, are ofmuch less diameter than the blocks 3 and are located in line with thecenters of thelatter, so that there is no liability of the rope engagingthem when the parts are arranged as shown in full lines of Fig. 2 of thedrawings. As shown inthe drawings, a

portion of the rope is passed once around each block, with a portionlying parallel with the sides and each end extended from its respectiveblock and beyond the ends of the frame.

Suspended from a perforation 6 through the sides is a Seat 7. The rope8, by means of which the' Seat is supported, is of sufiicient strengthto bear the weight of the occupant device can be made'very light and yethave sufficient strength to support the heaviest person, as the rigidconnection between the sides and the blocks will prevent the parts `fromwarping or getting out of order. It will also render the framesufiiciently rigid to pre vent its being drawn out of shape by the coilsof rope around the blocks.

The stationary blocks will increase the friction of the rope to such anextent that the operator, sitting in the seat and holding the portion ofthe rope in front of'hiln, can easily control the frictional contact ofthe rope with the blocks and thereby the descent of the seat. Thefriction is increased by passing the ends of the rope under theguide-pins, and the rope is retained in position on the block or framewithout danger of its becoming entangled andrendered useless fromcareless handling.

f In using my escape all that is necessary is to throw the frame andlower portion of the rope out of the window and get into the seat` afterhaving secured a good hold on the rope below the frame. By increasingordecreasing the tension upon the rope the descent is made as fast or slowas desired. The operator can sit or hang from the seat in such p0-sition as to hold the rope and regulate the descent. By making the holethrough the sides of the frame the Weight of the operator is thrown in adirect line with the guide-pins at the ends of the frame and also withthe supporting-rope, thereby preventing any liability of the parts beingthrown out of alinement or into binding or inoperative positions by theweight or movement of the operator.

It is proposed that one of the escapes be IOO secured by a hook or pinthrough the upper end of the rope in each room exposed to fire, as theycan be made so cheaply that the item of expense Will be but nominal.Although I prefer to make the frame of wood, it can be made of lightmetal as well.

Having thus described my invention, I

In a fire-escape, the combination of the side pieces, the rigidfrictioneblocks arranged between the side pieces, the guide-pinsarranged at the ends of the side pieces and lo.- cated above and belowthe friction-blocks, a seat orsupport connected with the side pieces,and a main rope arranged on the frictionblocks and adapted to be passedbetween the saine and the guide-pinsel to extend directly from theblocks, said guide-pins being of much less diameter than the blocks,whereby they are located beyond the rope when the latter is not passedaround them, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afxed mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

MARTIN H. DooLY.

IVitnesses:

1I. A. GALLUP, A. G. BALLOU.

